How to Revive a Room in a Weekend

Replace accent furniture Locked into the matching three-piece end-and-coffee-tables scenario? Rethink size, style, placement and purpose of these pieces. One alternative: We wrapped low shelves around the back of a sofa. Also try exchanging a small accent table for a skirted tall piece offering concealed storage underneath. Or let two ottomans, with tops that flip to cushions or trays, stand in for the standard coffee table, providing easy mobility and double function.

Add a rug An area rug anchors our newly arranged seating group. It also injects lively pattern into the room, enhancing the plain furniture.

Continue to slide 2 to see what our room looked like before the makeover; slides 3 to 8 show more ideas for weekend facelifts ranging from about $300 to free. Slide 9 has product resources.

Here's what our room looked like before. You can re-create a room with a new color scheme. But don't start from scratch. Choose a dominant shade from what you want to keep (here it was our sectional), then add fresh secondary hues for a totally different look.

Rearrange the furniture No need to replace large pieces. Reconsider their placement and usage. We broke up a sectional, positioning the long section for easier TV viewing. The end piece--grouped with ottoman, floor lamp and laptop table--is a great place to go online or cozy up with a book.

Declutter bookshelves Keep a light look by limiting books to half a shelf or putting them in baskets. Group just a few select accents, which will give the shelves room to breathe.